


Writing

by raidspriestsandbabygoats



Series: Viking and Priest (Athelnar minifics) [2]
Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-05
Updated: 2014-11-05
Packaged: 2018-02-24 06:34:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2571695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raidspriestsandbabygoats/pseuds/raidspriestsandbabygoats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the prompt: "Athelstan teaches Ragnar to write in English"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Writing

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written and posted on tumblr for ragnar-rock who provided the prompt.

Athelstan sat near the fire, shivering a little despite having a blanket tucked around him. Winters had never been this cold back in England… He sniffled and traced a few words, the start of a prayer, in the dust on the ground with his boot, and jumped as Ragnar suddenly flopped down beside him. “Still cold, priest?” He grabbed Athelstan’s arm and unfolded it from the blanket, pressing a cup into his hand. “Drink. It will help.” He patted the back of Athelstan’s head before his eye caught the markings on the floor and he tilted his head, peering at them curiously. “What is this..?”

Athelstan gulped and gasped at the same time as taking a sip of drink, resulting in him spraying ale everywhere and coughing. Ragnar blinked and observed the display with a raised eyebrow, offering him a quick pat on the back when Athelstan finally recovered. “I-It… It’s nothing…” Athelstan mumbled, blushing deeply. “Just…just…something from back at Lindisfarne.”

"It’s English?" Ragnar blinked and gazed at him. When Athelstan nodded, Ragnar stood up and moved away, returning again with a piece of wood and a knife. "Show me."

Athelstan gazed up at him uncertainly for a while before sighing and taking the wood and knife from him, the movement causing the blanket to slip from his shoulders. Immediately, Ragnar swooped down and tucked the blanket back around him, pausing for a second before gathering an increasingly startled Athelstan into his arms and carrying him closer to the fire, setting him down and sitting behind him, wrapping his arms around him.

Athelstan sat frozen for a while, his mind trying to process exactly what had just happened and that Ragnar was now hugging him… He shook his head slightly to try and clear it as he began carving words into the wood, pausing to say what they were. When he had covered one side of the wood, Ragnar took it and began shakily copying the carvings on the other side. Athelstan was certain Ragnar could probably have found it easier if he only stopped hugging him, but it did feel quite warm and comforting so he didn’t bother to say anything. Even when Ragnar’s ‘i’ as he carved out ‘live’ did look suspiciously like an ‘o’…


End file.
